One Fine Day (Sort Of)
by SwanMills815
Summary: Ever have one of those days that just never seems to end? Today is one of those days! Follow Regina, Jake (a new face in town) and the rest of our beloved people through a day that just won't quit.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I clearly do not own any of the characters that you actually know! Jake, on the other hand... Well, Jake is my brain child! The rating is T for now but is subject to change.**

**Author's Note: This is pretty much just a random crackfic, meant to be funny and not taken too seriously. The idea came from a good friend who I love dearly and gives me "Dream Wishes" every night before we part ways! As the story progresses, I'll explain a little more what the dream wish was that actually prompted this fic! Jake is...well, Jake is me! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me some feedback if you feel so inclined! Comments and thoughts are always appreciated and feed my muse which in turn helps me write! Much Love and Enjoy! :)**

**ONE FINE DAY (SORT OF)**

Jake swerved off the road, coming to a stop just in front of a green and slightly rusted town limit sign. She stared in confusion before glancing down at the screen on her phone. Google Maps was working, but there wasn't any trace of a town anywhere on the screen. She looked back at the sign, briefly wondering if the app simply needed to be updated. _Do "new" towns just appear? _Jake shook her head at that thought. New towns didn't just appear and by the looks of the town limit sign, it had been there for quite some time.

"_Storybrooke?" _Jake let the word slip out in the empty truck, eyebrows furrowed at the borderline unbelievable name. "Where _the fuck_ am I?"

Looking back down at her phone, Jake touched the screen. Taking the app back to the main page she quickly typed in the name of the town, getting zero results. She didn't know why it mattered whether or not the supposed town showed up on any map. There were plenty of towns that weren't big enough to be on the map. What concerned Jake was the fact that somehow her GPS had taken her off course and she had no idea where she was. But unless she wanted to turn around and backtrack an hour, Jake was about to find out exactly where she had gotten herself lost. Glancing back down at the zero results on the screen Jake sighed, dropped the phone onto the passenger seat and pulled back on the road.

Ten minutes of winding roads surrounded by nothing but forest, finally signs of life started to slip into view. At least, signs of buildings anyway. Whether or not there were people remained to be seen. Coming to a stop, Jake saw a sign that said Main Street and looked both ways. To the left, there looked to be a shop or two and to her right there appeared to be a lot more options. _Right it is._ Jake thought to herself before pulling out. Having no idea where she was going or what she was going to find, Jake crept down the road well below the speed limit all the while hoping to find that there were actually people in the town that time forgot. Just as she looked out her right window, Jake happened to see a couple coming out a door and down a set of steps. She hit her brakes and looked at the sign above the door.

"Granny's?" She mumbled to herself. "Of course there's a _Granny's_."

Jake pulled the truck over to the curb and grabbed her phone. It was 8:30 in the morning and she'd been driving since three. If this was a place to eat, she was going to get some food. As she walked, Jake looked at her phone and clicked on the little envelope in the top left corner that told her she had messages waiting. When the screen popped up, Jake realized she was looking at Twitter. The messages were from Catherine. She quickly read over them, laughing to herself as she walked up the short path. Clicking the bottom line, Jake was typing out a response as she walked up the steps and through the front door, not once looking up. She'd gotten quite adept at walking and typing and managing to never run into anything or anyone. But just as she hit the send button and looked up, Jake ran right into whoever had been standing just inside the door.

The woman stumbled back, quickly holding her arm away from her body as Jake looked up. She was holding a cup of coffee and sporting a seriously pissed off look on her face. But damn, she was still hot. Jake's mouth fell open, intending to apologize but nothing was coming out but stuttering and she watched helplessly as the other woman appeared to grow angrier at her lack of manners.

"I- uh...Oh my god, I'm so-"

"Sorry?" It was one word, but Jake nearly melted on the spot. "I believe the word you are looking for is _sorry._ But you apparently have no manners _or_ the ability to speak and function like a normal human being."

"I'm so sorry." Jake finally spit out the apology, looking over the woman to make sure she hadn't spilled any of the drink from her cup. "You didn't spill your- I mean, I didn't make you spill your drink, did I?"

"You're still alive, are you not?" The woman's attitude was through the roof. She was clearly a bitch, but for some reason it just wasn't registering in Jake's brain. As a matter of fact, Jake was suddenly wondering if she'd left her brain in the front seat of her truck. _Or in my pants._ She thought to herself. "There _really_ is something wrong with you, isn't there dear?"

"Yep." Jake mumbled under her breath, suddenly finding the floor more interesting than the rest of her surroundings. When she looked back up the brunette was staring at her with a look of disbelief and Jake did the only thing she could think to do. Holding out her hand she said, "I'm Jake, by the way."

If it was possible, the woman's eyes nearly rolled out of her head and it was suddenly clear to Jake that she would not be getting this gorgeous woman's name. Staring down at the hand she'd extended, Jake quickly realized that she would not be getting a friendly hand shake either. _So much for first impressions._ The brunette stared at her a moment longer before she shook her head and finally responded. "That's a man's name."

Had Jake been less dumbfounded, she would have laughed. She was used to adverse reactions to her name, but something about this woman's ballsy attitude had her attention. Jake had always been attracted to women with attitude, but the attitude was usually directed at someone other than herself. This instant attraction was downright masochistic. So it was a good thing she was only passing through. Just as she was about to respond, Jake's phone started blaring a notification sound and before she could stop it, the woman in front of her quickly brushed past her, making sure to bump her shoulder. The action knocked Jake slightly off balance and she laughed to herself as she watched the brunette walk out the door.

When Jake looked back up, she realized that the entire restaurant had gone silent, but quickly went back to minding their own business now that the brunette was gone. _Weird._ Jake thought to herself as she approached the counter. She sat down at the bar and responded to the message as she waited for the waitress behind the counter to make her way to where Jake was sitting. She watched the younger girl out of the corner of her eye as she lazily scrolled through the missed messages in the group chat that she was a part of. When she saw the girl headed her way, Jake sat her phone aside and smiled at her as she came to a stop.

"I see you survived your run-in with Mayor Mills." The girl laughed and shook her head. She held out her hand and Jake took it. "I'm Ruby. You must be new here."

"I'm sorry. Did you say Mayor?" Jake shook her head in disbelief. It wasn't even nine in the morning and there was no way this day could get any better. "_That_ is your Mayor?"

"Yeah. Her name is Regina. She's kind of a hard ass." Ruby sat a cup in front of Jake and poured a cup of coffee. Jake hadn't asked for it, but she needed all the caffeine she could get, so she wasn't about to turn it away. "But something tells me it's all just an act."

"Jake." Jake glanced back at the door even though the brunette was long gone, then turned back to the waitress. "I'm sorry. My name is Jake."

"I heard." Ruby smiled as she handed Jake a menu. She winked at Jake as she was about to walk away and said "It's a man's name, remember?"

Jake shook her head and laughed as she turned her attention to the menu. It was simple, which Jake appreciated. Too many choices made for a hard decision. By the time Ruby made her way back to where Jake was sitting, she had thankfully decided what to order. As interesting as it seemed to be, she didn't want to be in this town any longer than she had to be. Once she was through with her breakfast, Jake was waiting on her change when Ruby came back and decided to make more conversation.

"So you're not from around here?" Ruby asked as she handed Jake the money she owed her.

"Just passing through." Jake answered, finishing off her coffee and standing up from the stool. "Kind of...on a road trip."

"Alone?" Ruby looked at Jake as if that was the saddest thing she'd ever heard and Jake laughed.

"Yeah. Alone..." Jake shrugged. "Sometimes it's nice to just get in your vehicle and go. But, I wasn't exactly supposed to be passing through here. I didn't even know this town existed. But my GPS got me lost somehow, which is exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to do."

"GPS?" Ruby looked at her in confusion.

"Yeah. GPS. You know... GPS?" Ruby just stared at Jake. No sign that she had any idea what Jake was talking about. _How is that even possible?_ "You know... Global Position Sys- Yeah, you have no idea what GPS is. How is that even possible?"

Ruby just shrugged.

"Anyway...It was nice to meet you." Jake said as she headed for the door. "Breakfast was great and...yeah...good luck with your Mayor."

Jake headed for her truck, a white Xterra sitting by the curb a few yards up the sidewalk. She looked around as she made the short trek and thought to herself that the town just seemed off. Something about the whole place was giving her the creeps and she couldn't wait to get back on the road and on with her life. Jake got settled in the driver's seat and buckled up before putting the key in the ignition. When she turned the key, nothing happened. Taking a deep breath, Jake turned the key again and still...nothing happened.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Jake nailed the steering wheel with both hands before calmly reaching for the key again. Nothing happened. The engine wasn't even trying to turn over. No clicking sounds signaling that it was probably a dead battery. No nothing. "Fuck. Just...fuck my actual life."

Frustrated, Jake hit the steering wheel a few more times before running a hand through her short brown hair. She was about to pick up her phone to call someone when she realized, there was no one to call. Jake nearly jumped out of her skin when there was suddenly a tapping on her passenger side window. When she looked up, there was a blonde standing there staring at her. _What now?_ Jake thought to herself as she hit the button to roll down the window. When nothing happened she remembered all over again that her truck wouldn't start and therefor had no power. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she exhaled. Stepping out of the truck, Jake walked around the front, meeting the blonde stranger half way.

"Is there a problem?" The woman asked, crossing her arms and taking a stance that almost looked defensive.

"Ah...no." Jake shook her head, wondering how much of her freak out the woman had seen and wondered why she even cared. Jake gave the blonde a once over and on the way back up, her eyes locked on the shiny gold badge stuck to the woman's belt. "You're a cop."

"The Sheriff, actually." The blonde cocked her head to the side, waiting to see if Jake had anything to say and Jake couldn't help but wonder if this whole situation was about to go downhill. The Sheriff pointed to the driver's side of the truck. "So, uh, what was _that_ all about?"

"Look, Sheriff...I'm just passing through and-"

"Yeah, that's not what I asked you." The Sheriff took a step closer to Jake and instinctively, Jake took a step back. _What the hell is in the water here?_ Jake held up her hands to show the Sheriff there was no reason for her aggressive behavior, but she just held her ground. Pissing off the Mayor and the Sheriff both in the same day. What were the chances?

"Yeah, uhm, my truck won't start." Jake hesitantly propped herself against the front of the truck with one hand before she realized that she was one hand away from being in a position for the Sheriff to needlessly frisk her. Which she honestly believed the Sheriff looked like she might do. Jake stood back up and stepped away from the truck nonchalantly and shoved both hands into her front pockets. "Is there someone I can get to come take a look at it? I really need to get back on the road."

The Sheriff looked at something over Jake's shoulder and then back to Jake's truck. Jake turned to see what the woman had been looking at only to find an auto garage across the street. "Well that's convenient."

"I didn't catch your name." The Sheriff spoke up, drawing Jake's attention back to the situation she was currently in. Jake sighed, wondering if this was going to go anything like her run in with the Mayor.

"Jake." Jake offered her hand and the Sheriff accepted it. "And yes, I know it's a man's name. Your Mayor already informed of that. Like I didn't already know."

"Ah. You met Regina. Let me guess, you pissed her off?" Jake nodded and the blonde laughed. "Not surprised. I'd congratulate you, but you're not the first. That's typically my job. I'm Emma. Swan."

"Nice to meet you Sheriff Swan." Jake ran a hand through her hair again and glanced down at her phone to check the time. "I guess I need to go see...Michael?"

"Yeah. Tell him I sent you over." The Sheriff said as she stepped back onto the sidewalk and headed in the direction of Granny's.

"Thanks, Sheriff." Jake called after her as she went the opposite direction to see about getting her truck fixed.

**. . .**

"Well it's not a dead battery, that's for sure." The man Michael said as he dropped the hood on Jakes truck. "I'm gonna get a couple of my guys to give it a push over to the shop and we'll take a look at it first thing in the morning."

"In the morning? It's only ten in the morning. _Today!_ I need to be on the road. An hour ago!" Jake's voice was rising in pitch. Her disbelief of the situation frustrating her. "You seriously can't do anything until tomorrow?"

"I already have a couple of cars in my shop as it is." Michael shoved his dirty rag into his back pocket, looking at the stranger while she took a moment to calm down. "Looking at it tomorrow is me doing you a favor."

Michael held out his hand and Jake looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I'll need your key, ma'am."

"_Ma'am?_ Really?" Jake shook her head and laughed as she worked the truck's key off of her key ring. _Do I look like a ma'am?_ Jake thought to herself. She slapped the key into his hand. "Is there a place I can stay? A hotel or motel or...something?"

"You'll want to go see Granny. She runs the Inn as well as the diner." Michael informed her as he turned to head back to the garage.

Jake took a deep breath and tried to reason with herself. She wasn't on a schedule. She actually had nowhere to be and as long as she could get a room, she'd just stay in it to avoid running into any more people. Opening the back end of the truck, Jake dug out her back pack and another duffle before shutting it a little harder than was necessary. _Stuck in this fucking town..._ Jake was shaking her head as she headed back toward the diner, paying attention this time as she headed through the doors.

"You're back!" Ruby's cheerful voice echoed through the diner as the door slipped shut behind Jake. The waitress came to a stop at the end of the counter where Jake remained standing. "And you have bags. Did you decide to stay?"

"More like, held hostage." Jake said before realizing how it must have sounded. "My truck won't start. The guy who owns the garage across the street is going to take a look at it in the morning. He said I needed to speak to someone named _Granny_ about a room?"

"Or me!" Ruby's bubbly personality was almost contagious Jake realized as she couldn't stop herself from smiling. If she didn't speak to anyone else in this town, at least meeting Ruby had made her time less painful. Before Jake realized what was happening, Ruby had taken off her apron and was yelling at someone who must have been in the kitchen. "Granny, we have a guest! I'm just going to take her over to the Inn and get her checked in!"

Jake followed Ruby back through the front door and into the diner's courtyard. She was attempting to make idle conversation with the cheerful waitress as they walked through the gate and onto the sidewalk. Ruby slowed her steps and allowed Jake to walk first through the archway. Jake turned to look at Ruby who was close behind as she continued to talk and unexpectedly she felt herself bumping into something warm and slightly soft. Jake cringed as she heard Ruby gasp and slowly turned to see exactly who she'd bumped into this time.

"You." Regina spoke through clenched teeth. The disdain in her voice was ever present.

Ruby spoke up first but her words were quickly interrupted by the woman she was attempting to speak to. "Madam Mayor, I was just taking-"

"Yourself for a walk?" Regina suggested firmly and Ruby's shoulders slumped as she turned and started up the sidewalk without even questioning the woman. Regina turned back to Jake, a mask of indifference falling over her features.

"Ruby! I-" Jake watched her walk several feet away and wasn't sure if the younger woman was going to stop and wait on her or not. Turning back to the Mayor, Jake had no idea what to do. "But she- I- We were just- I mean...I need to follow her. She-"

"_Why_ are you still in my town?" Regina raised an eyebrow as she waited for an answer.

Jake looked her in the eyes, deciding right then that she didn't know this woman, so she sure as hell wasn't going to put up with her attitude. "Well, you know...I ran into you earlier, met Ruby in the diner and then after breakfast I ran into, although not literally, your extremely gorgeous Sheriff and decided this town was clearly full of hot woman with attitude and hell, that's right up my alley!"

Jake winked at the Mayor who stood there with her mouth just short of hanging open and promptly turned and started walking in the direction of Ruby. Ruby, who had decided she'd gotten far enough away from the woman who'd told her to leave. When Jake caught up with her, she hadn't bothered to look back as she'd walked away from the Mayor, but Ruby couldn't help herself and took one last glance as she pushed off the fence and led them both towards the Inn.

"I don't know what you said to her, but I could see the vein on her forehead from here." Ruby laughed. "That wasn't very smart, you know?"

"Eh. I'll be gone tomorrow." Jake laughed with her and shrugged. "Why not have a little fun _today_?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer in Chapter 1.**

**Author's Note: Reviews or words of encouragement always make a writer feel more encouraged to write! :) Enjoy the ridiculousness! **

**Day 2**

Jake was slowly coming to as the morning sun had begun to filter through the blinds in the room Ruby had put her in the day before. Rolling over, Jake reached for the night stand and grabbed her phone to look at the time. The numbers on the screen read 7:45 and Jake groaned and dropped the phone to the bed. She definitely hadn't meant to sleep so late. And she really needed to get a shower and go find out just how long it was going to take before she could get on the road again. Rolling out of bed, Jake grabbed her charger and rolled it up before shoving it into her backpack. After rifling through her duffle and digging out a new set of clothes all she had to do was hit the shower and get the hell out of this place.

Showered and dressed, Jake was resisting the urge to run from the Inn. Bags in tow, she was hopeful she could just leave her stuff in her truck, grab some breakfast and be gone before noon. When she reached the sidewalk in front of the Inn and took a right, Jake looked up to find her truck parked next to the sidewalk where she had left it the day before. _Thank god! Maybe he got it fixed already! _Jake couldn't help being a little more than happy with the prospect of skipping breakfast altogether and getting the hell out of dodge. Honestly though, she wouldn't be skipping out on food. When she reached the truck, Jake opened the back dropped her stuff amongst the rest of her things and shut the door more carefully this time. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Jake clicked on the dialogue bubble first and brought up the group convo on Whatsapp and typed out a quick message to her friends.

**_Morning ladies! Still stuck in the town that time forgot, but woke up to find my truck all fixed and ready to go! Hope everyone has a fantastic day!_**

Stepping away from the truck, Jake headed toward Granny's with her face still glued to her phone as she read her morning messages from Catherine. Smiling to herself as usual, Jake clicked on the blank line and began to type out a response as she walked up the path. On the top step, Jake continued typing with one hand and reached for the door with the other.

**_I'm guessing you're probably still on your Saturday morning walk! Hope you're having a great day so far. It's 8:30 here already and I can't wait to get the hell oughebabi_**

****Jake looked up and couldn't help but laugh. How in the hell had she managed to run into this woman three times? Clearly Regina was not amused and Jake's laugh quickly died down as she realized she should probably apologize. She was standing back, holding her arm away from her body just like the day before and luckily, she hadn't spilled anything on her clothes. Clothes that Jake suddenly noticed were exactly the same as the day before. She didn't know this woman at all, but Regina did not look like the type of woman to wear the same outfit in a month, let alone two days in a row. The pissed off look on her face oddly mirrored the one she'd taken on the day before as well. Jake smirked again, trying her best not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Clearly, there was a higher power at work that was determined for Jake's path to keep crossing with the gorgeous Mayor's.

"I, uh... I'm really..."

"Sorry?" Regina was quick to finish the sentence for Jake once again. "I believe the word you are looking for is sorry. But you apparently have no manners or the ability to speak and function like a normal human being."

Jake was feeling a serious sense of déjà vu and looked around to see if someone was possibly playing a joke on her. Ruby was standing behind the counter watching the interaction and the rest of the diner's patrons had stopped what they were doing as well. All eyes on Jake and the Mayor. Something weird was definitely going on in this town and all Jake wanted to do was get in her car and leave it behind her.

"I'm so sorry." Jake apologized finally and couldn't help but give the woman another once over. She didn't' want to repeat herself from the incident the day before, but had no idea what to say to smooth over the situation. "I didn't make you spill your drink, did I?"

"You're still alive, are you not?" Regina responded just like the day before. _There's something seriously fucking weird going on here._ Jake pinched the bridge of her nose and ran a hand through her hair. "There really is something wrong with you, isn't there dear?"

"Okay. I'll play." Jake nodded her head, completely over the joke they were trying to pull on her. She realized she had thoroughly pissed this woman off the day before and Jake honestly hadn't thought she'd ever see her again. But clearly Regina had a routine and Jake had stepped on her toes. Metaphorically, so far. And now they were all paying her back for showing up in their town and throwing off the cycle of boredom and uniformity. Jake held out her hand. "I'm Jake. It's nice to meet you."

And just like the day before, Regina looked at Jake like she'd lost her mind and promptly rolled her eyes. The only difference today was that she already knew Regina's name. But now she wondered if Regina would keep up the charade or actually be polite and give her name as well. Regina stared down at Jake's hand like she had a disease and Jake got her answer. Dropping her hand, she shoved them both into her back pockets. _So much for third impressions._ And as if on cue, Regina finally responded. "That's a man's name."

"Depends who you ask." Jake mumbled to herself. And even though this whole ordeal was annoying as hell, Jake couldn't help but find it amusing. Also, the brunette in front of her was still hot standing there in her black heels, black dress slacks with a white shirt and black vest. Yesterday the situation hadn't been so funny. Today, Jake just wanted to laugh. _ Definitely a masochist._ "You know-"

Jakes words were interrupted by her phone going off. Despite knowing it was the Mayor of this town she was dealing with, Jake smiled and held up a finger silently asking Regina to give her a moment. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and silenced it. Just as she was about to speak again, Regina completely dismissed Jake, brushing by her and knocking her off balance. Regaining her composure, Jake laughed and shook her head as she watched the woman storming through the courtyard. Once she was out of sight, Jake turned back to find everyone suddenly minding their own business.

"It's like the fucking Truman Show around here." Jake said to herself. She might as well talk to herself. She was the only one making any sense since she rolled out of bed. Approaching the counter, Jake threw her hand up at Ruby hoping to catch her attention. While she waited on the upbeat girl, Jake turned her attention back to her phone. The notification had been from Catherine.

**_What the hell is oughebabi? And hopefully you won't be stuck there too much longer. Just remember, you're not on a timescale and try to play nice with the locals._**

**_Oh. And don't feed them or they might try to follow you out of town._**

Jake laughed out loud at the messages. When she looked at the one she'd been typing before she had run into Regina, Jake realized she must have touched a bunch of buttons _and_ managed to hit send as well. She'd just add that to the list of all the goofy shit they said to each other all the time and move on with her life. Knowing she could talk to her friend about anything, Jake quickly shot her another message to explain.

**_First...remember what I was telling you yesterday about running into the hot Mayor? Yeah, well...it happened again. How in the fuck, I have no idea! And that's where oughebabi comes in._**

**_I was trying to say OUT. As in I need to get the hell OUT. OF. THIS. TOWN. There is some seriously weird shit going on here. Because I walked into the diner and ran RIGHT back into the Mayor. Just like yesterday._**

Jake decided to wait on elaborating until Catherine responded. She put her phone to the side just as Ruby walked up with a coffee cup and a pot of coffee in hand. Ruby laughed and shook her head. "I see you survived your run-in with Mayor Mills. I'm Ruby. You must be new here."

Jake dropped her head into her hands right there at the counter, leaving Ruby to stare at her in confusion.

"Not you too." Jake mumbled in a whiny tone. Taking a deep breath, Jake looked back up at Ruby and had no idea how to proceed. Fifteen minutes into this game and suddenly she was over it. "The Mayor."

"Yeah. Her name is Regina. She's kind of a hard ass." Ruby sat the cup in front of Jake just like the day before and poured the coffee almost to the top. _Thank god she left enough room for sugar._ _Or alcohol. Is it too early for alcohol?_ "But something tells me it's all just an act."

Jake looked around the diner to see if anyone was paying attention. When she realized that everyone was still minding their own business, she glanced back toward the door before facing Ruby once more. "Jake. My name is Jake."

"I heard." Ruby smiled as she handed Jake a menu and winked as she was about to walk away. "It's a man's name, remember?"

It wasn't funny anymore. Yesterday she had laughed about it. Today, Jake was thoroughly confused. Shaking the negative thoughts from her head, Jake gave the menu her attention. And just for the sake of her sanity she decided to order something different than she had the day before. When Ruby came back, Jake tossed out her order and shoved the menu aside. She was alone in this screwed up town. Her head was beginning to pound and her stomach was suddenly protesting at the lack of food. While she waited on her order, Jake grabbed her phone and decided to message her Twitter family again.

**_You guys, I have no idea what I've gotten myself into, but I think I drove straight into the Twilight Zone! I seriously hope everyone's day is starting off better than mine!_**

****And then there was Catherine.

**_Bless! Maybe it's just meant to be! Did you flirt with her? Maybe if you were flirty, she'd forgive you. You CAN be charming when you want to be._**

****Jake shook her head.

**_This woman is wearing power suits and ready to kick my ass. I'm a tee/jeans kind of 'guy'. She's way outta my league. And I don't think it's me so much that she's pissed at. I just think she's angry in general. I just made it worse._**

**_Then there's the fact that the minute I started talking to her, every word out of her mouth was exactly the same as it was yesterday. Even the waitress is acting like she doesn't know me. Does that seem weird to you?_**

****Send. Jake waited patiently for something helpful or witty to come her way.

**_Not weird at all. You've probably just gotten yourself stuck in some kind of time continuum and are being forced to repeat the same day over and over until you get your shit together and figure out how to NOT piss this woman off._**

**_ Didn't you say before that no one was out of your league?_**

Witty. Of course. Jake laughed out loud and quickly looked around before covering her mouth and continuing to laugh.

**_NOT helpful!_** **_Lol You should see this woman._**

Send. Jake sat her phone to the side as Ruby returned with her food, dropping it off and walking away. Jake ate her breakfast in silence, sending a few messages back and forth with the other girls. When she was finished, Jake remained in her seat while she waited on her change from the bill.

"So you're not from around here?" Ruby asked as she handed Jake the money she owed her.

"Just passing through." Jake answered. She skipped finishing off the cup of coffee this time, suddenly wondering if she should be eating or drinking _anything_ in this town. "I'm on a road trip."

"Alone?" Ruby's sad look on her face caused Jake to laugh again.

Jake nodded. She was giving up. For some reason, this woman had no clue who she was, despite meeting each other the day before. "Yeah. Which is probably how I managed to get lost. I was blaming my GPS, but if I had been paying better attention, I wouldn't have driven an hour out of my way and ended up here."

"GPS?"

"Yeah. Nevermind." Jake just smiled. Eager to leave, she dropped a tip on the counter and threw her hand up as she walked out the door and mumbled "Good luck with your Mayor!"

Jake sprinted to her truck, eager to find out exactly what had been wrong with it. When she rounded the back driver's side, she expected to find a bill or something stuck to the windshield or driver's side door, knowing she'd have to go pay and get her key back. Finding no trace of a bill, Jake took a deep breath and started off to the other side of the street to talk to the mechanic. Pulling her keys out of her back pocket, Jake looked down as she stepped onto the sidewalk and stopped dead in her tracks. Flipping through her keys, she looked up to see if anyone was watching her and threw her head back.

"No way. No fucking way." Jake was standing there with her truck key in her hand, distinctly remembering that she had handed it to the shop owner the morning before. Making a beeline for her truck, Jake opened her truck door and hopped into the driver's seat. Shoving the key into the ignition, she said a silent prayer to whoever might be listening and turned the key. Nothing happened. "DAMNIT!"

Jake was out of the truck and slamming the door before she could stop herself. All she wanted to do was get out of town and it was starting to feel like the entire world was working against her. Momentarily forgetting she was in public, Jake kicked her front tire and yelled something incoherently before slamming her hand down on the hood of the truck. She ran both hands over her face and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Is there a problem?"

Jake jumped at the sound of a voice behind her. She turned around to find the Sheriff standing there with her arms across her chest. Conveniently just like the day before. _Are all the women in this town crazy?_ The Sheriff continued to stare at Jake until she finally responded.

"No. Not at all." Jake shook her head, attempting to calm down and wondered just how much the woman had seen of her fit today. "Sorry. I forgot you're a cop."

"The Sheriff, actually." Emma cocked her head to the side again and Jake waited for what was coming next. "So, uh, what was that all about?"

"Sorry about that outburst, Sheriff. I-"

"Yeah, that's not what I asked you." The Sheriff took a step towards Jake, but this time she didn't bother to move.

"My truck won't start." Jake leaned back against the door and looked over at the woman standing next to her. Emma looked across the street in the direction of the garage and back to Jake. The whole morning had Jake completely exhausted and she hadn't even done anything except have breakfast. "I need to get it looked at."

"I didn't catch your name."

"Jake." The Sheriff accepted Jake's hand when she offered it. "Sorry. It's the only name I have and your Mayor doesn't seem to like it very much."

"Ah. You met Regina. Let me guess, you pissed her off?"

"Yep." Jake nodded and shrugged. There wasn't much she could do about it now.

"Not surprised. I'd congratulate you, but you're not the first. That's typically my job. I'm Emma. Swan."

"Thanks for stopping, Sheriff." Jake pushed away from the truck and stood up straight. Somehow she needed to get the mechanic to work on her truck now. "I guess I need to go see...Michael?"

"Yeah. Tell him I sent you over." Emma said as she turned to leave, heading in the direction of Granny's. Maybe it was something about the diner that was causing the day from hell and wreaking havoc on Jake's life? With any luck, Jake thought to herself, she wouldn't have to investigate the idea.

"Thanks, Sheriff."

**. . .**

"Well it's not a dead battery, that's for sure." Michael dropped the hood on Jake's truck and dusted off his hands. "I'm gonna get a couple of my guys to give it a push over to the shop and we'll take a look at it first thing in the morning."

"Ohhh no!" Jake was shaking her head. There wasn't a chance in hell she was going to let him walk away this time. "You don't understand. I need you to fix it today. Now. I'm only passing through. I'm not staying here!"

"I already have a couple of cars in my shop as it is." Michael shoved his dirty rag into his back pocket. "Looking at it tomorrow is me doing you a favor. I'll need your key, ma'am."

"Do I look like a _ma'am_ to you?" Jake deadpanned. But Michael didn't respond. Of course he wouldn't respond because that wasn't part of the monologue _yesterday_. _God forbid!_

"You'll want to go see Granny. She runs the Inn as well as the diner." Michael said as he took the truck key from Jake and turned to walk away.

"Why did I stop?" Jake asked herself as she opened the back end of her truck. She grabbed the two bags she'd taken with her yesterday and headed back to Granny's to see Ruby about a room. Reminding herself as she walked, Jake knew she didn't have anywhere in particular to be. There was just something that wasn't sitting right. _Maybe Catherine was right. Maybe I AM stuck in the fucking Twilight Zone time continuum thingy she mentioned._ "One day and you've lost your mind!"

"You're back!" Ruby's voiced piped in as soon as Jake walked back through the doors of the diner. "And you have bags. Did you decide to stay?"

"Actually I'm trapped here." Jake sighed dejectedly and wondered just how far this whole thing was going to go. "I'm sorry Ruby. My truck won't start. Again. The guy across the street said he would fix it this morning but now he's telling me it's going to be tomorrow morning and he said _You'll need to see Granny about a room._ So here I am. Again."

"Or me!" Ruby's bubbly personality wasn't cutting it for Jake anymore. All she wanted to do was get back to the room she hadn't even checked out of, but apparently hadn't even been in yet if you asked these people. She would just lock herself away until her truck was fixed. If she could just get into the room she would be safe. "Granny, we have a guest! I'm just going to take her over to the Inn and get her checked in!"

Instead of taking the lead, Jake allowed Ruby to walk in front of her. She attempted to avoid talking, but somehow the conversation from the previous day was repeating itself. Just as they walked through the archway of the courtyard, Jake was thankful not to see the Mayor standing there. Jake reached to pull her phone out of her pocket when it caught her belt loop and slipped out of her hands. She kept walking and bent down to pick it up. As she was standing back up, Jake crashed straight into Regina, causing Ruby to gasp. Again.

"Son of a bitch. I cannot win." Jake mumbled and exhaled loudly.

"You." If looks or words could kill, Jake and Ruby would both be dead. Twice.

"Madam Mayor, I was just taking-"

"Yourself for a walk?" Regina raised her perfectly manicured eyebrow at Ruby whose shoulders dropped on cue. Ruby slinked away just as she'd done the day before without so much as a word.

"Ruby, wait!" Jake yelled after her, hoping to change the course of things, but Ruby failed to pay her any attention. When Ruby stopped in the same spot several yards away, Regina turned back to Jake and stared blankly at her. "I just want to get a room."

"Why are you still in my town?" Eyebrow still raised a mile high, Regina waited for Jake to answer.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer." Jake laughed at her own response and wondered if Regina would have anything to say. After a moment went by without a word, the staring contest ended and Jake turned and walked away. When she caught up to Ruby the repetitive morning resumed.

"I don't know what you said to her, but I could see the vein on her forehead from here." Ruby laughed. "That wasn't very smart, you know?"

"Yeah, well...We'll see how tomorrow goes and then I'll worry about how pissed off she is right now!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer in chapter 1!**

**CHAPTER 3, DAY 5**

Miraculously, day three had gone by without incident. It only took Jake until the end of day two to realize that the Mayor clearly had a routine. Knowing that she would be leaving the diner at 8:30 every morning made it easy for Jake to avoid the confrontation altogether. She had simply waited on the sidewalk at the entrance of the Inn and watched until the Mayor was long gone before going to get something to eat. Ruby had still somehow managed to forget Jake overnight, so she'd had to check into the Inn all over again just like the days before. However, much to Jake's relief, stalling until well after the Mayor had come and gone had changed things up a bit. Her conversation with Ruby had changed and somehow she'd managed to say little more than asking for a room which she managed to hide out in until the next morning.

Day four had basically repeated itself. Surprise, surprise. Jake managed to avoid the Mayor and the Sheriff both, again. She watched as everyone around her seemed to do the exact same things they'd done the day before but found she could alter the routines if she simply interacted with them. The only problem was that the next day, no one seemed to remember the day before. Every morning she checked her truck only to find that it still wouldn't start. Something about this town was seriously holding her hostage. Or better yet, she'd decided that everyone in the town was being held hostage and she was the only one who had any idea it was happening.

On the morning of day five, Jake rolled out of bed and started gathering her things. Taking her bags back and forth to her vehicle was already getting old. Much like everything else that was happening. Every day she seemed to wake up at exactly 7:45 in the morning despite having set an alarm for a much earlier hour. And in her head, it was Wednesday, but clearly she was stuck in the never ending Friday. Sitting back down on the bed, Jake looked around and wondered what would happen if she simply left her things in the room and went about her day. _No time like the present to find out. _Jake was determined to find out just how much she could change things up. What would it matter? It would all start right back over in the morning anyway.

"Why the hell not?" Jake jumped up. She quickly changed her clothes, grabbed her phone and started to send a message to Catherine as she was walking out of the room.

**I feel a change of pace coming on today. What are the chances of me getting arrested for having a little fun?**

Send. A moment later, her response was buzzing in her hand as she reached the front sidewalk.

**Well do you ****_plan_**** on breaking the law? If so, that's going to depend on you getting caught. Or what kind of mood the Sheriff is in. Are you going to terrorize the town or just mess with people's heads? **

** By the way, is it still Friday to everyone there? Because the fact that it's actually Wednesday means something really freaky is going on. But I'm intrigued and curious about how long this is going to go on. And how do you get it to stop?**

Jake laughed and shook her head.

**Not doing anything illegal. Yet. Planning to avoid the Sheriff. I actually like her. No terrorizing the town. Just thought I'd wing it. But I'm probably about to run into Regina and we know she's not my biggest fan. **

As Jake hit send, she quite literally ran into Regina who was walking through the archway of Granny's courtyard. Jake's phone tumbled out of her hands and landed a couple feet away from where they were standing. She did her best not to laugh at the look that immediately washed over Regina's face. The woman was pissed and rightfully so. But luckily, she still hadn't spilled her coffee. Jake had no idea what to say and wondered how long it would take for the fuming woman to choke the life out of her regardless of the fact that she was a stranger.

"Excuse you." Regina's words were clipped and precise.

"Me? _You_ knocked _my _phone out of _my hand._ I don't see your _coffee _on the ground." Jake had yet to pick up said phone, refusing to take her eyes off the tenacious brunette in front of her.

"Because _you _were not watching where you were going." Regina was getting more annoyed as the seconds and minutes ticked by and the vein on her forehead was slowly starting to show. Jake briefly wondered just how far she could push before the woman strangled her right there on the sidewalk. She really was wound up tight and Jake couldn't help but wonder why. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"My mother. My name is Jake and it's not a man's name, despite the thought going through your head right now." Jake smarted off without missing a beat but then another thought occurred to her. "How do you know I wasn't watching where I was going? If you _saw_ me, then this whole thing _is_ your fault. Did you want to run into me because you don't know who I am?"

"_What _are you doing in my town?" Regina plastered a fake smile on her face and Jake was slightly concerned about what this woman could be capable of. She was the Mayor after all.

"That's right. You're the Mayor, right? Mayor Mills?" Jake nodded and watched Regina's eyes grow curious. Most likely wondering how Jake knew who she was, when she didn't know who Jake was. "I've heard about you."

"And _what _does that mean?" Regina was taken aback by Jake's subtle attitude. No one ever talked back to Regina, least of all someone she didn't know. Didn't this peasant know they were talking to the Evil Queen? And who the hell was this peasant anyway? Regina wondered how it was possible for someone to be in her town for 30 years and never have run into them. She stuck her chin out defiantly. "Explain yourself."

"Yeah...no." Jake finally responded, annoyed with the woman's attitude. Just as she was about to walk away, on a whim Jake did the first thing that came to mind. Reaching out, Jake nailed the bottom of Regina's coffee cup, sending it tumbling out of her hand. Being the smart woman that she was, Regina jumped back instead of trying to save the hot drink. Jake covered her mouth and laughed at the horrified look on the Mayor's face until she surveyed the scene and realized the consequences of her actions.

"_Are you insane? What the hell is wrong with you?_"

Regina was about to lunge for Jake just as Jake bent down and picked up her phone. It was dripping wet with coffee and Jake shook it to get as much off of it as she could. She'd have to clean it up in the diner. The woman whose coffee her phone was wearing was all but forgotten as Jake attempted to wipe the drink off with her free hand. The phone and her hands both were going to be a sticky mess. That was definitely her own fault, but more than worth it to see the look on the regal woman's face. Regina was stopped short when they both heard someone coming and turned to find the Sheriff walking their way. She had apparently witnessed the whole incident and picked up her pace because she was clearly trying to walk fast enough to reach them without actually running.

"What's going on here?" Emma asked as she came to a stop just shy of the puddle of coffee. Thinking quickly, Jake reached back down and picked up the coffee cup as well and wondered how much the Sheriff had actually seen. Jake had been facing the direction Emma had come from, but hadn't seen her beforehand. "Regina? Everything okay?"

"We just had a little accident." Jake smiled innocently and spoke up before Regina had the chance to. "The Mayor didn't see me and we ran into each other. I was almost wearing her coffee." Jake let out a nervous laugh. Regina still wasn't speaking and Jake was quite proud of herself for leaving the woman so speechless. "My phone however, wasn't quite so lucky. No worries Mayor Mills. I'm sure it survived."

"_You're_ not going to!" Regina raised her hand and Jake had no idea what she was about to do, but she was stopped short when Emma quickly grabbed her arm.

"O-KAY!" Emma's voice got a little high pitched as she urged Regina to put her hand down. "I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding. _Right_, Regina?"

Regina looked at the Sheriff; the urge to argue was clearly on the tip of her tongue. And Jake watched in fascination as she slowly conceded to the Sheriff's urging. Jake made a mental note to find out what that was all about. Later, of course. For now, she was going to take her leave while the Mayor was distracted by the Sheriff. She'd have find out what other buttons she could push. Surely something was bound to give and put an end to the rinse and repeat day. Jake just needed to figure out what it was. Before Regina could respond to the Sheriff, Jake spoke up instead.

"Nice talking to you." Jake threw her hand up as she stepped away from the scene of the accident. With a smirk she added, "Mayor."

**. . .**

"Ruby?" Jake caught the waitress's attention as she was finishing up her food. Ruby slid Jake's bill across the table and quirked an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "Do you know where I might find the Sheriff? I...saw her out front this morning. Does she...have a routine or is the Sheriff's Station close by?"

"Emma?" Ruby's stare was questioning but she didn't inquire as to how Jake might know the Sheriff. Never mind the fact that Emma hadn't even introduced herself this time around. The truth was, Jake didn't know the Sheriff. But she did have some questions for her. "She was probably just making her morning rounds. Sometimes she does that on foot. Uhm...you can probably find her at the station. It's just around the corner. I can give her a call, if you'd like?"

"No! No, that's not necessary. I'm just having some car trouble and have some questions for her."

"Shouldn't you talk to _the mechanic_ about car trouble?" Ruby seemed confused and rightfully so. Jake was an outsider and suddenly she was asking questions and acting like she knew people she couldn't possibly know. At least, not as far as Ruby was concerned. "Michael's right across the street. He could probably-"

"Thanks for your help, Ruby!" Jake cut her off only feeling slightly bad about it. It's not like Ruby would remember it tomorrow anyway. Jake pulled out her wallet and left enough money for her food and a tip. "I gotta run. Maybe we'll see each other around!"

Several minutes later, after wondering around a couple of blocks, Jake finally stumbled onto the Sheriff's station and noticed a cruiser sitting outside. Given the fact that Emma had been walking the last time Jake had seen her, meant that it made no difference whether or not the cruiser was in front of the building. That didn't mean the Sheriff was there. When she entered the building, Jake took note of the eerie silence but quickly brushed it off. In a zero stop light kind of town, it was unlikely there was very much crime. Jake was hard pressed not to be surprised the town even had a Sheriff. When she finally found an open door at the end of a long hall, Jake stuck her head around the corner and saw Emma sitting behind a desk in an office mainly enclosed in glass. Knocking on the door, Jake unintentionally startled Emma out of whatever task she was currently concentrating on.

"Sheriff Swan?" Jake smiled and walked further into the room, stopping in the doorway of the inner office. Emma looked up at the stranger standing in her doorway and smiled. Jake could see the hesitancy in her eyes, but still she smiled even though Emma was most likely wondering how the new person in town could possibly know her name. "Got your name from the waitress at the diner. I was hoping I could ask you some questions?"

"How about I ask _you_ some questions first?" Emma stood up, gesturing to the seat across from her desk, suggesting that Jake take a seat. Emma Swan wasn't much taller than Jake but somehow her authoritative demeanor managed to get the point across. Jake sat down and waited for whatever was coming next. "You sure managed to piss Regina off this morning."

"Is...that a question?"

"It doesn't really take much to rile Regina up." Emma commented again and Jake wondered when the actual questions would happen. "We also don't really get many _visitors_ here in Storybrooke. Actually, we don't get _any_ visitors here in Storybrooke."

"I'm not sure how to answer any of those...questions?" Jake stared at Emma with a look of confusion. _Why is everyone in this town so fucking weird?_ It was almost like they were hiding something. "I actually didn't come here on purpose."

Emma tossed her pen onto a stack of paperwork and walked around, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. The Sheriff stared at Jake for several long moments before finally speaking up again. "What's your name?"

"Jake. Parker." Jake held out her hand but Emma only glanced at it before standing up and moving to take a seat behind her desk again. There was something about Emma she liked, but at the same time, it was almost as if the woman was on guard and Jake couldn't help but wonder why. Looking at her hand, Jake dropped it back to the arm of the chair. Would the awkward situations never end? "I was going to ask if you had any tourism info. Since I'm here, I might as well take in the sights."

"Regina isn't going to like that." Emma smirked and shook her head. She might not have been fond of the newcomer but Jake wasn't setting off any alarms which made Emma even more curious. "And there's really not a lot to do here. Unless you enjoy hiking or windy walks on the beach."

"Maybe I'll grab my camera out of my truck and go do that." Jake nodded thoughtfully at the idea.

"You're a photographer." Emma stated but it almost sounded like a question.

"No. I just like taking pictures in my spare time." She shrugged and slouched down in the chair a little. "I'm from Florida. I was on a road trip, driving up the coast and somehow I got lost and ended up here. It seemed like as good a place as any to stop and rest."

"Well if you need anything while you're here, just let me know." Emma stood then and Jake realized she was being dismissed. Somehow she'd gotten sidetracked from why she'd even come to the Sheriff's office to begin with but that was fine. There was always tomorrow.

"Thanks, Sheriff."

**. . .**

Stopping by her truck, Jake rifled around in the bag and dug out her backpack with her camera equipment in it. Unable to drive her truck anywhere, she locked it up and set off walking through town. The entire place was surrounded by woods; she was bound to find a hiking trail at some point or another. A couple blocks into town, Jake looked to her right and saw a sign in front of a building stating that it was the town hall with the Mayor's title and name below it. Jake immediately veered off course and headed straight for the building in question. Once inside, she followed the information boards until she came to a secretary sitting outside a large and somewhat fancy door.

"Can I help you?" The young girl behind the desk asked politely.

"Yeah. I was wondering if your Mayor might be free?"

The girl picked up the phone and spoke quietly to someone who Jake assumed was most likely the Mayor herself. She had no plan whatsoever and was surprised when the girl hung up the phone and told Jake she could go into the office. Jake wasn't religious and sure as hell wasn't Catholic, but for some reason she felt the urge to cross herself before grabbing the doorknob and pushing the door open. As she stepped into the large office, Jake found it mildly overwhelming but barely had time to look around before the Mayor looked up to see who was bothering her without an appointment.

"Out." Regina stood up the minute she saw the offensive stranger walking into her office and pointed to the door she'd just come through. "Get out of my office. Right now."

"Mayor Mills. If I could just-"

"No! You don't get to talk." Regina cut Jake off mid-sentence. "After that stunt you pulled this morning, I-"

"I came to apologize for that." Jake interrupted her this time. She wasn't actually sorry. The woman was abrasive and needed to calm down. She'd totally deserved having Jake flip her cup out of her hand. She was just lucky not to be wearing it. Regina looked at Jake in disbelief, waiting for whatever was coming next. "I was thinking maybe I could buy you a coffee tomorrow morning? Or breakfast even?"

Regina didn't bother to respond. The clenching of her jaw and lack of words was enough. Jake had to resist the urge to smile. Regina Mills was hot. She took note of the absence of a ring on the Mayor's left hand and wondered briefly how old she was. She looked young enough. Probably close to Jake's age. But she was the Mayor. Jake snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed the woman's facial expression change from anger to something along the lines of curiosity and annoyance.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

Jake looked down at her t-shirt, jeans and converse.

"Clothes?" Jake shrugged in confusion then smirked to herself. Looking Regina in the eyes, an action in itself which denoted a challenge, Jake added, "Should I not be?"

"I'm talking about that hideous thing on your back." Regina raised an eyebrow, not finding Jake amusing at all.

_Ah. The backpack._ Jake laughed. "You don't like my turtle shell?"

"How _old_ are you?" Regina was well over their conversation and wanted nothing more than to throw Jake out of the room, but for some reason, she just kept talking.

"34." Jake tucked her thumbs into the straps of the backpack and held onto them as she rocked back on her heels. "You?"

"My son is 13 and even he would find that childish." Regina ignored Jake's question. "And you _look_ 12."

"You have a son?" Jake was intrigued. She dismissed the Mayor's dig about her age. Jake knew she looked much younger than she was. Her short boyish hairstyle and clothing choices only added to it. "Are you married?"

"That's none of your business."

"What about the Sheriff?" Jake decided to push her buttons again. She knew it was a bad idea. But she had nothing better to do with her life at the moment.

Regina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What, pray tell are you asking about the Sheriff?"

"Is she your girlfriend? Because earlier, you two-"

"Out." Regina was back to pointing to the door and stepping out from behind her desk. Jake took a step back as the woman got closer. "Take that hideous green thing and yourself and get out of my office and _do not_ come back!"

With one hand on Jake, Regina was shoving her towards the door and out of the office. The minute Jake was clear of the door, Regina slammed it shut and Jake could hear the click of the lock. _Maybe tomorrow I'll lead with that question instead of working my way up to it._ She laughed to herself as she walked past the secretary who never once looked back up at her.

"I should probably avoid the coffee incident too." Jake mumbled to herself. Taking out her phone, Jake pulled up her text messages and clicked on a friend's name.

**So, you know the whole stuck in this town thing I was telling you about? Yeah...the mayor is wound so tight she's about to snap! But damn, she's hot! There's something about that bitchy attitude that makes me want to ask her out! Maybe being stuck here won't be so bad!**


End file.
